Optical networks provide a backbone for high-speed digital communications. A single wavelength channel in a fiber can support data rates of 10 gigabits per second (GBPS), and a single fiber can support multiple wavelength channels for a total data rate on the fiber of 100 GBPS, or more. In a passive optical network, an optical line terminal (OLT) may connect to multiple optical nodes where each connection is via one or more different fibers. The optical nodes may be separated by large distances and positioned at different distances from the OLT. For example, an optical node may be many kilometers away from the hub and the optical nodes may be many kilometers from one another. Accordingly, optical nodes may communicate with the optical hub over different lengths of fiber. Associated with the different lengths of fiber are different optical path losses that result in different optical powers at the hub. New technology is needed to accommodate the different optical powers at the hub.